The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-31
TALK ABOUT MEN.
A Geographic and Photographic View of a
Well-knOWn Democratic Senator.

Senator Isaiah B. Mcdonald Of Allen and
ing this term. He was a member of the House
far back as 1871, The Senator was somewhat
veally in those days, and made much sport for
the irreverent youngsters of the daily papers. He
was given the sobrques of .The Wild Acorn
Muncher of Whitley" which stuck to him for many
years. In those days he was considered little
irrelevant as to facts concerning his personal his
tory and disposed to magnify his achievements
One to whom he told the story of his life of NOV
ing accidents by food and field was Of mathe-
matical turn of mind, and when he wrote out the
Mcdonald biography, duly chronicled the fact
that at the mature age OF eighteen he commenced
teaching and followed that profession for
twenty-five years; he was then master me
chanic for twenty years, and afterwards law
yer for eighteen years. at the expira ton of this
term being somewhht venerable, he assisted in
saving the country in the dangerous position of
quartermaster for three years, since which time
he has been politician, the aggregate making
him ninety years Old"
This biography was written in 1871, and, &C
cepting it correct. the Senator, then ninety,
has reached the extreme patriarchal age of JOG
years. The chronicler of that day noted that the
legislator from Whitley was proud of having
been born in Virginia, and that he carried his
| pride so far that when teaching school be in
structed his pupils to say .'yas. sab. and mo,
| sab" as they do in the Shenando' However.
| upon this coming to the knowledge of the honest
old farmers of the school ''deestrict' the Virgin
| ian was displaced for master who would teach
! the children tn cir native tongue. Having thus
/ been choked off from pedagogic pursuits, he
| turned his attention to Democratic politics,
| where the Virginia flavor Of his speech rather
! had an advantage than otherwise.
Those who now gaze upon the Colonel, for he
| has breveted himself since the war, would never
| for a moment think him to be l06 years old; few
| would take him to be more than eighty and
| would hardly stop at that, but for the reason
| that his Democracy Is SO grown over with dank
moss and fungi. lie has, for some years, been
in the newspaper business and as this sket ch may
be in some sort considered geographic it will be
| following the regulation TO say that the Senator
"wields a trenchant PEN aided by the speller and
| school dictionary. The Colonel wears cloak, as
| this garment enables him to assume a highly eff
| fective military pose, which he does on the most
peaceful occasions. An ar list who saw him at the
Democratic editorial banquet when he headed
the procession in its fierce attack upon the dim
ing room at Englishs Hotel was quite taken
with mis- military bearing his eallantry in
action. his swelling nostril and flashing eye as
he led the charge. He wanted to him in q
great war painting he was engaged upon. I'm
fortunately, be failed to sketch the Colone
when he was at his best-before >the banquet
with the fierce fire of conquest in hiseye After
the oysters, duck, cold turkey, tongue ETC., he
was quite a different man. The fierce light IN
his eye had been replaced by dove-like tender
| ness, and he simply looked like a country editor
| trying to digest square meal.
Those who know the Colonel at home say that
he is by no means warlike as he looks. anc
intimate that it is only when he goes TO the
capital that be envelops himself with military
dignity and the awful air of a conaueror. Tht
Colonel is addicted to farming, like all grea
men, as recreation, ard made break to ge
upon the State Board of Agriculture. The
members of the delegate board were much i'm
pressed with his appearance, but, being O
peace, were afraid of his war-like aspect. ant
would not let the Whitley county Cincinnatu'
in 4 story is told of the Colonel and a com
nonsense neghbor The Colonel was telling o
a COW he had, and how vicious she had been IN
> til one day she had calf which seemed to en-
tirely change her nature. II was much SUI
4 prised," said the Colonel, son putting out m
hand to her to have her lick it."
Perhaps said the neighbor, ''she though
Q she had had twins"